Naruto: Long Way to Happy
by BlindSeer0
Summary: With the war over, Naruto and Kiba think they have everything planned out, but when life throws them a curveball they could have never seen coming, will they be able to handle it together, or fall apart?


**A Long Way to Happy**

**Warning: This fic contains mentions of M-Preg. I am choosing not to warn for anything else, so beware. However, it does NOT contain graphic violence, or graphic sex.**

**Read, review, and above all, enjoy.**

After the end of the Fourth Great Ninja War, people expected things to settle down. The five villages had a truce, and were more focused on rebuilding than anything else. However for Uzumaki Naruto, life had a few surprises waiting for in the shadows.

The first one had been his decision to turn down Hinata. He apologized profusely for taking so long to respond to her confession from when they fought Pain, and for leading her on, but he had needed time to think. In the end, the fact that he had taken so long to come to a conclusion had been answer enough.

"You don't need someone who doesn't notice your feelings or leave you waiting for an answer," he told her. "You need someone who will treat you both like a princess, and the kick-ass ninja you are. I don't think that's me, and I'm sorry."

Hinata had smiled sadly at him and said she understood, but he suspected he wasn't the only one who needed comforting that night.

Things were much better between them now, and although she was still searching for "the one", she was happier than he had ever seen her. They became close friends, though not as close as he and Sakura, and she had been the first one he had gone to when Kiba had confessed his feelings only a few months later. She told him that if he felt the same, he should go for it, and helped him deal with the emotional turmoil of dating, not just a man, but Inuzuka Kiba. She was also the first one he had gone to when the dizzy spells had started, and wouldn't go away.

Normally he would have gone to either Tsunade or Sakura, but both of them were off at a conference in Suna, discussing the importance and methods of creating well-trained medical ninja. He tried to tough it out, but when one of them happened during his Hokage training with Kakashi, the man had ordered him to get checked out.

And so he sat on a cold, metal, examination table in only his boxers while Hinata checked him over. Normally he would have been more nervous being naked in front of her, but after living with Kiba for a few months, you started seeing clothes, and common decency, as optional. They were lucky if the man remembered to put on boxers before answering the door.

When Hinata ordered him to strip all the way and lay on his stomach, it had only been a little awkward. He reasoned she'd probably seen it all with her Byakugan anyway, which led to him amusing himself by imaging the entire Hyuuga clan as giant perverts. When she started to examine his butt, that had been much more awkward.

"Hey, watch it back there, or Kiba will get jealous," he'd joked, trying to lighten the mood. Hinata was skilled, but tended to be quiet while working.

"Of course," he had continued, "the difference is you're using latex."

For some reason Hinata had tensed up at his joke, but he didn't pay it any mind. Soon he sensed the tell-tale signs of her activating her Byakugan, and mapping out the flow of his chakra with her hands. It was one of the things that made her an exceptional medical nin, on par with Tsunade and Sakura.

"So what's wrong with me?" he asked, when she was done.

Hinata hesitated before answering. "I have an idea, but I'd like to consult with Sakura and Tsunade when they get back in a few days. Until then, I'm sending a notice to Kakashi to suspend your training and missions, and recommend you stay home and avoid doing anything strenuous."

Naruto groaned. He would be bored out of his mind, but he knew better than to argue with her about this. A grin came to his face as he came up with other ways to pass the time while confined to bed. Hinata must have caught on, because she immediately amended her previous statement.

"That includes...s-sex with Kiba," she said, a slight blush on her face. "Also, I know it won't be an issue for you, but I also recommend you stick to broths and soups for now. Nothing too hard to digest."

"You're making this really hard for me, Hinata," he said with a whine. While he might prefer ramen and red bean soup anyways, his meat hungry boyfriend liked to stick a slab of steak on the side of every meal, and with no sex to placate him, Kiba was going to get whiny. Naruto loved the man, but sometimes he acted like an overgrown puppy, needy and always wanting attention. Of course, Naruto had always secretly wanted a pet to shower attention on, so it worked out rather well.

The next week went by at a painfully slow pace. Kiba had acted exactly how he had expected, first begging, then trying to force him, and when neither of those worked, he just lay on his side of the bed sulking.

Almost as annoying was the fact that while he wasn't having as many dizzy spells, other parts of him seemed to have decided to malfunction. His appetite flip-flopped between non-existant and insatiable, and his hands and feet started swelling. When Sakura and Tsunade got back from their trip, he had expected them to immediately figure out what was wrong. Instead, they dragged him in for more tests, until he felt like a human guinea pig.

Finally they had called him in, and he had brought Kiba, who was becoming worried. They were waiting in that same examination room when Tsunade, Sakura, and Hinata came in. The older woman looked calm, but the other two both had worried expression on their faces.

"What's with the sad faces?" he asked nervously. "Please don't tell me I'm dying," he said, only half joking. Kiba, who had been holding his hand since they got there, tightened his grip reassuringly.

"It'll be ok," said Kiba. "Even if its something 'incurable', I know these three can cure it. And whatever it is, _we_ can handle it."

They smiled lovingly at each other and missed the glance the women exchanged.

Seeing them, Sakura smiled. "I hope you're right."

"So whats wrong with him?" said Kiba, asking the question that was on both their minds.

"Well he's not dying," said Tsunade.

They both let out a sigh of relief.

"Probably," she finished.

"Why only probably?" asked Naruto.

Sakura took over for Tsunade. "The problem is that your symptoms. as far as we can tell, are from your time channelling all the tailed-beasts. Some of the residual chakra stayed in you and is…," she trailed off, not sure what to say.

"Just tell us!" shouted Naruto and Kiba at the same time, fed up with how elusive they were being.

"Naruto," said Hinata softly, "you're pregnant."

Silence settled on the room until…

"No," said Naruto bluntly.

"Excuse me?" said Hinata, confused.

"I am not pregnant. That's physically impossible. I'm 100% male. Kiba can vouch."

"Listen up," said Tsunade sharply, drawing all eyes back to her. "Normally I would agree with you, but we've ran the test dozens of times, and have been consulting with every scroll and expert on the tailed-beasts. I even had Sakura track down her husband, and you know how elusive he can be."

Normally Sakura would have argued that despite popular opinion, her and Sasuke weren't married, this time she let it pass and picked up the tale.

"After he was done laughing," she said with a scowl, "and properly punished, Sasuke told me that the reason you could get pregnant is because of how the Jūbi was formed. The Jūbi was originally Kaguya's power, until her son took it and sealed it within himself. Because of this, it had a primal need to be free, and form new life. However, his seal prevented it from leaving, even to his children, so it developed a method where the Sage of the Sixth Path, or the next holder of his power, could get pregnant by sleeping with a man. The child would be perfectly normal, except it would become the Jūbi's new host, which it would have more control of. If it helps, Sasuke said it was possible a women might have been able to impregnate you for the same reasons."

Kiba and Naruto were both in shock, and both of their grips had slipped, so they were no holding hands. Finally, Naruto spoke.

"What's going to happen?" he asked, much more subdued than usual.

"According to Sasuke, and all our findings, if you carry to term, there will be complications due to the fact that your body just wasn't designed for this, and the Jūbi didn't exactly care about its old host. We suspect there could be some danger to your life, and I don't recommend it, but it is possible," said Tsunade.

Sakura cut in.

"If you did want to keep it, I believe that between the three of us, if we keep careful watch and prepare for it, we can minimize the risk to that of a normal pregnancy. As for the baby, since none of the beasts are in you anymore, they should be born as a normal child with no complications."

Naruto wanted to freak out as Tsunade and Sakura talked slowly, their voices as neutral as they could make them, but he forced himself to match them.

"And other options?" he asked, and he saw Kiba. who had been looking at the ground, perk his ears up like a dog. Normally Naruto found the doggy behaviors of his boyfriend adorable, but a sick feeling was forming in his gut, making it hard to concentrate.

_That's not the only thing forming there,_ said a small voice in his head, but he ignored it.

This time, it was Tsunade's turn. "Even though the baby is altering your biology a little bit, Hinata has confirmed that you will stay male, with only a few additions to help carry the baby to term. You're only a few weeks in, and as long as we do it before the second trimester sets in, we should be able get to it with few complications using our skills and the Byakugan. You could have it aborted."

_Aborted._

The word had an immediate effect on everyone in the room. Hinata looked close to tears, Sakura was shaking her head sadly, Tsunade was getting twitchy, a sure sign she needed a drink, and Kiba looked like he wanted to bolt, but his love for Naruto kept him rooted to the spot. As for Naruto, he felt almost as empty inside as when Sasuke had first betrayed them, or when Neji died right next to him.

"I need time to think," he said quickly, and started to get up.

Kiba woke up from his stupor and began helping him. Tsunade nodded.

"Of course," she said. "Until then, only the five of us and Sasuke know what is happening, and while I suggest that we inform the Hokage, otherwise we we leave it to both of you to decide who to tell."

When they got back to their apartment, Naruto collapsed on the bed, rubbing the seal used to seal Kurama, still there despite the fox having left his host. Kiba couldn't sit still, and was pacing back and forth, muttering to himself. Akamaru woke up from his nap in the corner and saw how distressed his masters were, but had no idea why. He tried to ask Kiba, but the man ignored him, obviously not wanting to talk about it.

Kiba stopped pacing and turned to Naruto.

"So, what are you going to do?"

Naruto raised an eyebrow at Kiba's wording.

"Don't you mean 'we'? It's as much your child as mine. Hell, it's basically your fault since you're the one who impregnated me."

"You're a guy!" yelled Kiba. "You aren't...weren't supposed to get pregnant. How was I supposed to know that wasn't the case? You've topped me plenty of times, but you don't see me growing a placenta, or whatever is going on in there!"

"So you're going to leave me to deal with just, all because you didn't _plan_ for this to happen?" Naruto said angrily.

"Of course not!" yelled Kiba. "I love you, and you know that! My dream of becoming Anbu is all so I can stand by your side and protect you! I would do anything for you."

Both men glared at each other, neither backing down.

"Then why won't you answer the question? Why did you say 'I' and not 'we'?"

"You heard Tsunade, if you carry to term, you could very well die. I don't want to risk losing you," said Kiba, avoiding the question.

"I also heard Sakura when she said they could minimize the risk, and aren't you the one who said they could cure the incurable? Do you really have that little faith in them?" asked Naruto.

Kiba shook his head.

"Plus," continued Naruto, "during the war Tsunade survived being cut in half, and Sakura manually kept my heart beating until they were able to bring me back to life. I trust them with my life, and so do you, so what's your real problem?"

"Because," said Kiba, who seemed to be struggling to get the words out, "I love you, but I don't know if I'm ready to love someone else too."

"I thought you wanted children," said Naruto, baffled.

"I do, but its too soon. We've been together for almost a year, and being with you, living with you, has been amazing, but neither of us are prepared for a step this large, and you know it. You know I'm not the best at planning ahead, but this time I have. I'm about to join the Anbu, which will lead to long hours of training and trial missions, and you're still trying to become Hokage, which will probably keep you even busier. If we have that kid, are you going to give up on being Hokage to raise it, or would I have to quit the Anbu? Not to mention we're barely 18. Do you honestly believe we could raise a child?"

"I don't know," said Naruto, "but it sure sounds like you don't think so."

Kiba faced Naruto again, and he saw tears in the brunette's eyes.

"I want to be there for you Naruto, I want to be strong enough to support any decision you make. But I'm not. That's why I am leaving you to make the choice. Because I already know my answer, and I don't want to force it on you."

"Kiba," said Naruto as he got up from the bed to hug him, but his boyfriend pulled back.

"Tell me honestly Naruto, are you planning on keep it?"

Naruto's hand unconsciously moved back to the seal on his stomach.

"I...don't know. I've always wanted a family, and I knew when we started dating that it meant I we would have to adopt, and I was ok with that. Now that I have a chance to have a child thats not only mine, but also yours, I'm not sure anymore. I mean, we helped win a war against the ultimate evil, so how bad could raising a child be?"

"While trying to become Hokage?"

"Hey," said Naruto defensively, "what kind of Hokage would I be if I couldn't take take care of one kid, much less a whole village."

"I'll make sure to ask Konohamaru how that turned out for him, Asuma, and the Fourth," Kiba said, taking Naruto back with how bitter he sounded. "You're the most amazing person I've ever met Naruto but being Hokage means making sacrifices, and you know it."

He avoided Naruto's gaze as he continued.

"I've been talking to Kakashi, and he's agreed to send me on a mission with an Anbu elite. If we succeed, he'll let me start training as soon as possible. I'm going to tell him tomorrow that I'm ready, and I'll be gone for two weeks. I'll leave Akamaru with you, but I think we need some distance now. We both have a choice to make, and I don't think we can make it together."

Naruto wanted to yell at Kiba, tell him he was being a coward, that if he truly loved him, he would stay no matter what, but he couldn't. Kiba was right, this wasn't supposed to happen, and their choice would affect not just their future, but the future of the child, if they chose to have it. So instead, he just let Kiba go, and locked the door behind him.

Later that week Naruto found himself sitting on the head of the Fourth Hokage, gazing out at Konoha.

_My father and mother sacrificed their lives for me and the village. I wish I knew what they would do right now._

He heard someone approaching him, and looked up to see Sakura sitting down besides him.

"Crazy few days, huh?" he said with a smile. "I miss the days when things were simple."

Sakura laughed. "Because chasing after a treacherous sociopath, who tried to kill you I might add, in an attempt to convince him to come back, was simple."

"Say's the woman who went and married the bastard," he muttered under his breath. Sadly for him, Sakura heard and punch him in the arm hard enough to leave a bruise.

"Why does everyone keep saying we're married?" she asked, exasperated. "I only see him a few times a year, and you probably talk to him more than I do."

"Sakura, if you're able to date a guy who knocked you out twice, tried killing you at least once, and spends most of his time wandering aimlessly around the world, then it's a pretty sure bet you're going to marry him," he said with a laugh, which Sakura joined in on.

"What about you?" she asked when they were done. "Did you and Kiba decide before he left about what you want to do about the pregnancy?"

He shook his head sadly. "No, he wanted both of us to think about it on our own, but I'm pretty sure I know what he's going to say." There were no tears in her friend's eyes, but Sakura could tell something was tearing him apart on the inside. "He made it pretty clear that if I chose to keep the baby, he wasn't sure he could support my decision."

Sakura smashed her hand into the ground, inadvertently creating a small crater.

"I can't believe the nerve of that guy!" she shouted, causing Naruto to flinch away. "He was the one that asked you out, and always went on about how much he loved you, but one little bump in the road, and he bails on you, and his possible child!"

"Sakura, calm down," he said, and she started to take deep breathes.

"Sorry about that. It's just that, if this had happened to me, I would want to make the decision with Sasuke, and know that whatever I do, he'll support me."

They sat in silence for a while, both lost in their thoughts. Naruto, even after mellowing out over the years, was never one for long silences, and was the first to break it.

"If you were in my place, what would you do?" he asked.

She knew the question was coming, so she already had an answer.

"I would keep it, even if I had to raise it on my own," she said.

As she got up to leave, she turned back towards Naruto.

"You know, I asked Sasuke the same question, and I think he'd want me to tell you. If he was given a chance to personally bring the next generation of Uchiha into the world and finally restore his clan, he wouldn't take it. He said he wasn't ready for such an important task."

With that, she left Naruto on the monument, more confused than before.

The day before Kiba was set to return, Naruto was at the hospital again to make sure no added complications came up.

"You're beginning to develop more fat around your waist," said Hinata when she was done examining him, "but otherwise everything is progressing smoothly. You still have time to make your decision."

"Thanks Hinata," he said as he put his shirt back on. "You've been a big help these last few weeks."

She smiled at him. "We might not have worked out, but I still care about you, Naruto, and would do anything to help you."

He knew she had wanted to add "and Kiba", but had tactfully decided to keep it out, which he appreciated.

"Do you mind if I ask you a question before I leave?"

"Of course not. Is it about the pregnancy?"

"Sort of," he said, and then plunged right in. "If you were in my place, what would you do?"

Much like Sakura, Hinata had been expecting the question, but she took her time answering.

"With my Byakugan I can see embryos as they form during pregnancy. It is connected to your chakra network, and depends completely on you for survival. If it was born now, it wouldn't be able to live on its own. But," she said more confidently, "I would still keep it, because I was the one who brought it into the world, and I couldn't take that chance away from it."

"Thank you," Naruto said smiling, and hugged Hinata, who hugged him back tightly.

Before he left the hospital he decided to take a detour, which is how he found himself pounding on Tsunade's door.

"Open up, you drunken old hag! I know you don't have any surgeries today, and Shizune is busy, so stop pretending you aren't there!"

A very angry Tsunade opened the door, glaring at the smirk on Naruto's face. From the redness of her face, and her disheveled look, he figured she'd been drinking and fell asleep at her desk again.

"Stop making so much noise in a hospital," she shouted, louder than him. "Now what do you want?"

"I want to ask you a question," he said, still smirking.

"Come on in then," she grumbled.

Tsunade sat at her desk and poured another glass of sake, while Naruto lounged on her couch.

"What would you do if you were in my situation?" he asked without any preamble.

Unlike Sakura and Hinata, Tsunade had not expected Naruto to ask her that question, especially not when she has slightly not-sober. She sighed.

"Brat, asking such a rude question right after disturbing my nap. I wish I had the answer for you, but I don't," she said sadly. "As far as I know, no one has ever been in the same situation."

"I asked Hinata and Sakura," he said, surprising her. She knew it was a big decision, but Naruto was the type of person to act on his gut, and ask later. "They both said they would go through with the pregnancy." He thought for a moment. "Oh, but Sakura told me Sasuke wouldn't."

"And Kiba?" she asked, knowing he'd been gone for since the announcement. Naruto's silence was answer enough. "Well, whatever you do, make sure it's what's best for you. Never giving up on your dream, no matter what others say, that's your ninja way, isn't it?"

She knew she had said the right thing when he smiled and hugged her.

"Thanks granny," he said affectionately. "I think that was exactly what I needed to hear."

Kiba was walking out of the Hokage's office after reporting that his mission was a success, when we saw Naruto waiting for him. Unsure of what to do he just stood there, until his blond boyfriend ran over, practically tackle hugged him, and kissed him until they both needed to stop for air.

"So I'm guessing you're on your way to becoming Anbu, huh?" asked Naruto.

Kiba nodded. "Kakashi was so happy that he granted my request on the spot, and I start training immediately. Look, Naruto, about before-," he began, but was cut off when Naruto covered his mouth with his hand.

"Let me speak first, ok?" Kiba nodded, and Naruto removed his hand.

"I've spent the last two weeks thinking about what to do about this pregnancy. Sakura and Hinata said to keep it, Sasuke said to abort it, and granny told me only that she didn't have an answer, which was no help at all. But talking to them reminded me of one thing. My dream when I was younger was to become Hokage, and earn everyone's respect. I was an orphan, but I never thought about my parents, since I assumed they were among the hundreds of casualties caused by Kurama's rampage."

He smiled at the irony before continuing.

"I never thought I'd have a family of my own, and I didn't think I needed one, besides maybe Iruka and Old Man Hokage. However, the Old Man once told me that as the Hokage, the whole village is your family, and I started to view things differently. Instead of just earning the respect of the villagers by being the strongest, I would earn it by treating them like my family. Even then, I didn't think I'd have my own personal family, until I met you. You showed me what it was like to love, and be loved, and I owe you so much for that. Kiba, my dream is to become Hokage, and make a family with _you_, got that?" he finished as loudly as he could.

Kiba, ever the machoman, decided now was a good time to stop acting tough, and breakdown crying, a combination of sadness, guilt, and happiness flowing out of him. Naruto comforted him, and ignoring the onlookers, they made their way home.

Naruto was about to open the apartment door, when Kiba stopped him, his eyes watery, but resolute.

"Before we go in, I think its my turn to say something, which is, I'm sorry. I do love you Naruto, and I will support whatever decision you make. Even if you have the child, I plan to stick with you, and make sure you achieve both your dreams, got that?" he said with the same conviction Naruto had used earlier.

Smiling, they opened the door, and walked in together, hand in hand.

Ten years later, the new Hokage found himself standing outside his quarters, looking up at the clear night sky. A chilly breeze blew past, and made him shiver, but he didn't feel like going back inside to get a jacket. He was so engrossed in staring at the stars, that he almost didn't notice a man come up behind him and put a blanket over his shoulders.

"You need to be careful or you'll catch a cold," said Kiba. "Wouldn't want to show up in front of all the Kages with a runny nose; what would Gaara say?"

"He'd probably say its par for the course and call me an idiot," said Naruto with a smile. "Anyways, who are you to criticize me? You're standing out here in your boxers. At least I bothered to put on pants and a shirt."

Kiba gave a barking laugh. "That's because I'm tougher than you, dumbass. Us Inuzuka are made sturdier."

They would have continued bickering, but they heard crying and a bark, and saw Akamaru come out, carrying an infant girl in a specially designed pouch.

"Look like Usagi wanted her daddy also," Kiba teased as Naruto relieved Akamaru of his burden.

Almost like magic, she quieted down at once. A few minutes of rocking back and forth, along with some rough singing by Kiba, and the little girl was sleeping soundly. Putting Usagi back in the pouch, they all went back inside, and Akamaru took her back to her room. Kiba had spent the last ten years training him to be an all-purpose doggy nurse, and they couldn't have asked for better. It didn't hurt that the dog was absolutely smitten with the little girl, and would die before he let anyone hurt her.

They had had her for only a month, but they knew as soon as they saw her at the orphanage, that she was the one. They had adopted her on the spot, and despite their busy schedules as Hokage and Anbu captain, they made as much time as they could to be with her. Everything she owned has covered with seals in case Naruto needed to warp to her, and Kiba had spent enough time memorizing her scent that he could track her from across the village, and guess her moods with moderate accuracy.

Sometimes they thought about the baby they could have had, the one that would have been biologically their own. But the both knew they hadn't been ready for the responsibility. They had gone to Tsunade, and had her remove it, which she had promised would also prevent Naruto from getting pregnant again. Naruto believed her, but Kiba was a little more paranoid and spent the next few months insisting they both wear condoms, no matter who was topping.

"I had actually made my decision before you left," said Naruto afterwards. "You were right, we weren't ready, and we had no way to know it would happen. Honestly, I knew you would decide to stick with me; I've been told dogs are very loyal to their master," he teased. Kiba growled at him while Akamaru sniggered from his place at the foot of their bed.

"You told me you wanted to join Anbu as a way to support me, so I knew if we kept it, you would just as quickly give it up to support me by raising the child. But if you weren't going to let me give up my dream, I wasn't going to let you give up on yours. We might even resent the kid, and that wouldn't have been fair to them. Everyone deserves to live in a loving family. When the time is right, we'll achieve both our dreams, believe it."

Ten years later, they finally had. Usagi might not be theirs biologically, but they loved her all the same, and they knew she was growing to love them. It might have been a long way to happy, but they were glad they had navigated it together.

**A/N: This fic is dedicated to Kim. She always thought she was the weakest of us, but I knew she was really one of the strongest.**


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